Reaching high into the heavens or rolling gently across the landscape, mountains have a mystique that captures our imaginations. In America and around the world, mountains shape the lives of hundreds of millions of people just as they shape the skyline. In an effort to recognize the important role mountains play across the globe, the United Nations General Assembly designated December 11 as International Mountain Day in 2003. The success of the UN International Year of Mountains, which... (Read more…)

Summer 2011 will be remembered by most of the country as one of the hottest on record. While politicians and pundits may debate the underlying cause (or lack thereof) of rising temperatures, it’s hard to care about why it’s so darn hot when it is so darn hot. With temps pushing triple digits across the country, our thoughts have shifted to water - the magical, life-giving molecule that makes even the hottest temperature tolerable. Before we get into the fun stuff, it’s... (Read more…)